Steam turbine controls



Oct. 4, 1955 J. ZIBRUN STEAM TURBINE CONTROLS 5 Sheets-Sheet l iled May 29, 1950 INVENTOR. flzsep&jzra7z jwzw flz ibrzzey Oct. 4, 1955 J. ZIBRUN 2,719,530

STEAM TURBINE CONTROLS Filed May 29, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Oct. 4, 1955 J. ZIBRUN 2,719,530

STEAM TURBINE CONTROLS Filed May 29, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 Oct. 4, 1955 J. ZIBRUN STEAM TURBINE CONTROLS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 29, 1950 5 9 INI /ENTOR.

josep/z Z ra7z BYWXW United States Patent STEAM TURBINE CONTROLS Joseph Zibrun, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 29, 1950, Serial No. 165,034

2 Claims. (Cl. 137-37) This invention relates to steam turbines particularly of the Westinghouse-Parsons type. The principal object is to provide means for automatically regulating and controlling the turbine thus eifecting economy and safety, including automatic and semi-automatic controls, in turbine operation. One object is the provision of a steam turbine of low first cost and high efficiency, of low maintenance cost and one wherein economy of foundation and building cubical content is attained.

A further object is the provision of steam feed back means arranged between the steam pressure tank and the rotor and opening into the steam transmission line therebetween to conduct steam in excess of predetermined pressures and quantities about and away from the normal bleeding mechanism used to convey this excess steam to the condenser or into the atmosphere.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of arrangement, construction and design comprehended by the invention are hereinafter more fully pointed out or made apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a steam turbine according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the turbine of Fig. l partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through Fig. 1 approximately on the line 33.

Fig.4 is a fragmentary sectional view of Fig. 3 with adjustable parts in an altered position.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating valve adjustments.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, through Fig. 2 on the line 88.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevational view, partly in section, of one type of regulator employed and illustrating the application of my adjuster.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the adjuster per se'with adjusted parts in an altered position, and

Fig. ll is a verticalsectional view through a controller employed illustrating its application to the instant invention.

in the steam turbine here shown steam from a source travels through the intake pipe 1 into valve chamber 2 housing valve 3 and if same is open the steam continues into steam chest 4 and into an inner compartment between two spaced partitions 5, in each of which two valve seats 7, 8 or 9, are formed, each of said partitions 5, 5 spaced from a top or bottom wall of the chest, said partitions secured to the chest end walls 11, 12. Extending into the steam chest are the valve stem 13 having thereon the valves 14, 15 for valve seats 8, 10 andthe valve stem .16 having thereonthe valves 17, 18 for valve seats 7 and 9.' Tapped into the lower com- 2,719,530 Patented Oct. 4, 1955 partment of the steam chest below lower partition 5 are the steam conduits 19, 20 that extend through chest wall 12 and into the upper and lower portions respectively of the large blade compartment 21 of housing 21a and discharge steam upon the rotary blades 22 housed therein fast upon the rotary transmission shaft 23 journaled in the housing wall.

From the compartment 21 the steam passes into the communicating compartment 24 containing the reactive type blades 25 playing thereupon and accelerating and further powering the shaft 23. From blades 25 the steam passes into the compartment lower portion 26 and also into upper portion 27 provided with valve ports 28 opening into passageway 29 extending peripherally of the compartment and opening into the adjoining cornpartment 30, separated from compartment 21 by partition 30a, said ports 28 being opened and closed by the Valve 31 operative in the valveway 32 disposed atop the compartment 27.

If the valve ports 28 are closed by the valve 31 the steam will pass only into the compartment 26 from compartment 24 and travel in a manner to be hereinafter described. If the valve ports 28 are open and the steam is passing into compartment 30 through partition 30a it will play upon the blades 33 fast upon said shaft 23 to accelerate and give added power to same and from compartment 30 the steam will pass into the condenser (not shown) through outlet 30b.

Arranged desirably in a housing 34 connected to the machine frame is the governor 35 connected by the link 36 to the lever 37 to which is connected the valve stem 16 connected by links 16a, 16b, to valve stem 13 fast respectively to the valves 17, 13 and 14, 15. At a predetermined speed of the shaft 23 with the valves 14, 15, 17, 18 open and the speed of the shaft gradually increasing the governor accelerates thus first causing the connections to valve stem 13 to gradually close valves 14, 15 and so to cut down the supply of steam passing through the conduit 20 into the housing 21a, thus slowly cutting down the speed of the turbine.

In spite of the fact that valves 14, 15 are now closed the turbine will continue to accelerate in speed although at a relatively slower rate of acceleration and so the governor will continue to slowly increase in speed and through connections to the valve stem 16 to slowly close the valves 17, 18 thus cutting down and finally cutting ofif the supply of steam through the port 19 to the housing 21a. The decreased speed of shaft 23 will now permit the governor again to contract or slow down thus through connections to the valve stems 16, 13 again slowly opening the valves thus again accelerating the speed of the shaft 23. The action of the governor from this point will stabilize the speed of the machine automatically, under all conditions and with or without a load, light or heavy.

This provides a turbine of the straight condensing type. If, during the turbine operation, the load is materially varied suddenly the speed of the turbine will vary directly in accordance, though smoothly, therewith. As a bleeder feature of the turbine there is a large steam accumulator tank 38, or storage tank, connected by the steam conduit 39 provided with check valve 39a to the housing 21a and in use bleeder steam from the housing 21a may be passed to the accumulator tank. When steam pressure in the turbine exceeds that in the tank 38 steam from the housing, when the pressure exceeds a predetermined point, will pass readily through the conduit 39, through weighted check valve 40 therein and through hand valve 41 when same is open, into the accumulator tank. Steam in the compartment 24, when the valves 28 are closed, will accumulate until the pressure therein is greater than in the accumulator tank 38 whereupon it will pass into the tank.

I provide a loop or U-shaped steam pipe 42 that connects conduit 39 adjacent and forwardly of the check valve 40, to conduit 39 at a point 42 remote from said check valve forming a bypass which is provided adjacent its ends with hand valves 43, 44 and in its intermediate portion with a valve chamber 45 provided with valves 46, 47 having stem 47 and with a valve chamber 47a provided with valves 48, 49. The pipe 42 bypasses the check valve 39a so that a high steam pressure in the tank 38 may pass through pipe 42 about said check valve to the turbine, the check valve being closed at this time. When the steam pressure in tank 38 is low, steam from the turbine may pass through conduit 39 and through check valve 39a into the tank 38 as said check valve is open to steam passing toward the storage tank. The valve stem 56 of valves 48, 49 is connected by a link 51 (Fig. 2) to a lever 52 one end of which is connected by link 53 to an hydraulic regulator 54 upon bracket 55 anchored to a support, regulator 54 connected by pressure impulse steam pipe 56, provided with hand valve 57, to the steam conduit 39 at a point between tank 38 and valve 41 and with valve 41, being normally open, steam from the tank static in pipe 56 to regulator 54 will cause lever 52 to raise link 51 and valve stem 50 when the steam pressure from the tank is high. Steam passing through pipe 42 when tank pressure is high will, through regulator 54, gradually open valves 48, 49 admitting steam to chamber 49a to remain and perform its function.

When pressure in the tank is high steam from conduit 39 will pass through steam impulse pipe 56a to controller or regulator 56b causing link 560 to rise thus raising valve stem 56d and stem 47 opening valves 46, 47 which permit steam to continue through pipe 42 into chamber 49a. At the same time valve stem 56d through connection to slotted floating link 56e connected by clevis 56 to reach rod or pitman 56g connected by cross arm 56h to valve stem 56i operating the aforesaid valve 31.

Accumulator tank 38 is fed with steam from outside sources such as engine exhausts which raise the tank steam pressure if tank withdrawals are less than such tank intakes. This excess steam from the tank passes through pipe 42 and is used to drive the turbine by the instant device so long as tank pressure remains above a predetermined point. The governor and regulator 54 open and close valves 48, 49 and if valves 46, 47 are closed this steam gets only to chamber 49a. Increased pressure from the tank 38 through pipe 56a causes regulator 56b to open valves 46, 47 supplying more steam to the turbine.

Referring to Figs. 9 and a standard controller similar to the Cash Standard Type 100 Controller, made by A. W. Cash Co., Decatur, 111., is denoted at 56b and to same I have here coupled my novel adjuster which is operatively supported in subsidiary framework 57a. In coupling up the adjuster I secure a fluid circulation pipe 58 to the connection 58a at the lower end of the controller and a fluid circulation pipe 59 is fitted into the controller at a point above the controller piston so that the circulation pipes 58, 59 are upon opposite sides of the piston of the controller. The adjuster includes a cylinder 59' closed at its ends and in its lower end carrying a guide standard 60 of square cross section extending through the hub 61 of a sleeve 62 provided interiorly with angular cross-over pipes 63, 64 that open through the sleeve wall.

The sleeve is provided with a straight transverse pipe 65 spaced above pipes 63, 64 and with a similar transverse pipe 66 extending between pipes 63, 64, the ends of all pipes extending through the sleeve wall. The sleeve 62 is connected by threaded rod coupling 67 extending through the top of the cylinder 59 and adjustably connected to the piston 68 of a second cylinder 69 spaced above cylinder 59', the said rod coupling 67 between said cylinders engaged by a lever 71 and pin 72, said lever supported upon fulcrum 74 and at its free end carrying an adjustable compensating weight 73. The circulation pipes 58, 59 extend from the controller to the cylinder 59 and from the cylinder 59 to the high pressure portion 75 of the controller, said pipes registering with opposite ends of the pipes 65, 66 or pipes 63, 64 of the sleeve 62 depending upon the position of said sleeve within its cylinder. The high pressure reservoir 75 is connected by a liquid supply pipe 76 to a pressure pump (not shown) which supplies the reservoir with liquid under pressure, this reservoir provided with a return connection 76a to the pump, the liquid during operation of the mechanism being delivered to the controller cylinder upon opposite sides of the cylinder piston. Steam from tank 38 gives impulses through pipe 56 to the sensitive controller diaphragm C which controls the flow, and direction of flow, of liquid under pressure to the pipes 58, 59. In the absence of diaphragm movement the said liquid remains static under pressure until diaphragm movement again sets up circulation in said pipes.

With the sleeve 62 in lower position, shown in Fig. 9, the pipe 58 delivers fluid to the controller cylinder below the piston while the pipe 59 delivers liquid thereto above the piston while with the sleeve 62 in upper position, shown in Fig. 10, the delivery points of the pipes 58, 59 in the controller cylinder are reversed. Leading from the upper end of the cylinder 69 to the conduit 19 is steam pipe 77 that delivers steam from a boiler or like source upon the piston 68. In the absence of predetermined steam pressure within the cylinder above the piston 68 the latter is retained, together with sleeve 62, in raised position by the weight 73 and at that time the pipes 58, 59 register with the pipes 63, 64 and the fluid from the pressure pump is so delivered to the controller 56b as to cause same to close steam valves 48, 49 to out oif additional steam. When steam pressure in cylinder 69 is increased beyond a predetermined point the piston 68 is forced to the lower end of cylinder 69 and the pipes 65, 66 are placed in registry, respectively, with the pipes 59, 58 and the flow of fluid to the controller cylinder is reversed causing the controller to open steam valves 48, 49. From the foregoing it will be seen that the improved adjuster will control the operation of controller 54 which regulates the operation of the shaft 23.

The controller shown in Fig. 11 is substantially that shown in Fig. 1 of the patent to Temple, No. 2,049,549, August 4, 1936. This or a similar controller functions to keep the instant machine on an even keel. This controller is connected by impulse steam pipe 56 to the accumulator tank 38. As has been pointed out this tank receives steam from various sources such as the exhausts of steam engines and machines of various kinds and/or from steam boilers. This pipe 56 is shown as entering the controller just below the controller diaphragm C and high steam pressure in the accumulator tank 38 will exert high pressure upon this diaphragm causing same to expand and raise vertical rod C causing same to raise a member Ca connected by spring Cb to idler sprocket Wheel C" by roller chain C3, said chain connected to the nut C4 mounted on the screw C5. This movement of rod C' will raise horizontal fulcrumed lever C6 opening high pressure oil valve E. This upward expansion of the diaphragm causing fluid circulation pipe 58 to supply oil to the lower end of the controller through connection 58a below the diaphragm while the valve E' is opened to release oil through pipe 59 above the diaphragm. High steam pressure in the member 38 will cause this circulation to remain static. When, however, lowered steam pressure in the accumulator tank 38 is present the expanding pressure upon the diaphragm is lessened and it will contract thus reversing the connected mechanism. The impulse received through pipe 56 by the controller will be transmitted either through the cross-over pipes 63, 64 or through the pipes .65, 66 which are alternately placed in alignment with the pipes 58, 59. In this manner variations of pressure from the accumulator tank 38 are delivered by the controller which will cause normal even operation of the turbine and compensating changes under varied loads.

What is claimed is:

1. In a steam turbine controller, in combination with a variable pressure steam accumulator tank; a cylinder, a reciprocating sleeve in said cylinder, transverse pipes in said sleeve, crossover pipes in said sleeve, a second cylinder, a piston in said second cylinder, connection means between said piston and said sleeve, weighted means engaging said connection means yieldingly retaining same in a predetermined position, a fluid intake pipe in said second cylinder above said piston, a high pressure reservoir, fluid circulation means connecting said high pressure reservoir and said first named cylinder to the opposite ends of a servomotor, said circulation pipes in registration alternately with said transverse pipes and with said crossover pipes as said sleeve is moved to upper and lower positions, and a pressure impulse pipe connecting said steam accumulator tank to the diaphragm of a controller.

2. In a steam turbine controller, in combination with a variable pressure steam accumulator tank; a cylinder,

a reciprocating sleeve in said cylinder, crossover pipes in said sleeve, a second cylinder in line with said first named cylinder and spaced therefrom, a piston in said second cylinder, connection means between said piston and said sleeve, Weighted means engaging said connection means yieldingly retaining same in a predetermined position, a fluid intake pipe in said cylinder above said piston, a high pressure reservoir, fluid circulation pipes connecting said high pressure reservoir and said first named cylinder to the opposite ends of a servomotor, and a pressure impulse pipe connecting said steam accumulator tank to the diaphragm of a controller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,464,596 Bosselmann Aug. 14, 1923 1,553,119 Stein Sept. 8, 1925 1,896,308 Hellborg Feb. 7, 1933 1,925,078 Ruths Aug. 29, 1933 1,968,700 Miletta July 31, 1934 2,274,663 Brisbane Mar. 3, 1942 2,294,753 Hedrnan Sept. 1, 1942 2.530377 Chattler Nov. 21, 1950 

